Konstantinos V. Karatzas

The economist Konstantinos V. Karatzas was born in Athens in 1945. He graduated from the 8th Boys' High School of Athens and studied at the University of Athens (Department of Political and Economic Sciences) and the University of Southampton (MSc in Economics). Since 1974, he has worked at the National Investment Bank for Industrial Development (ETEVA), the Bank of Greece (Economic Research Department), the Central Bank of Greece, the Hellenic Industrial and Mining Investments Company (ELEVME), as well as in international investment banks (Hill Samuel, Charterhouse, HSBC). He also served as an economic advisor to companies and, from January 2001 to May 2008, as chairman and CEO of Aspis Bank. He was the secretary-coordinator and rapporteur of the Committee for the Study of the Greek Banking System (1978-1980), known as the Charissopoulos Committee, a member of the OECD's Expert Committee on Banks (1980-1982), and a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Bank Association. He has published monographs, articles, and studies on banking, financial, and monetary issues and has participated in international (EEC, OECD, etc.) negotiations. He is married and has two children.